This invention relates generally to vehicle braking systems and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for facilitating performance of such systems.
Some known vehicles include drum-type braking systems, including wedge-type braking systems. Such drum-type braking systems are frequently employed on large, off-road vehicles that include haul trucks and loaders. In general, drum-type braking systems require frequent calibration adjustments to maintain the associated vehicle stopping action above a predetermined threshold level. Moreover, the forces exerted on the braking systems associated with the larger, heavy-duty vehicles tend to shift the calibration of the brake systems more frequently than on smaller vehicles. Such frequent brake system maintenance decreases vehicle availability and increases total cost of ownership.